A-W Titans try to extend postseason streak to seven

Monday

Aug 11, 2014 at 8:41 PM

When the opening day of high school practice arrives, the goal is clear for the Annawan-Wethersfield football team.

Mike Landis

When the opening day of high school practice arrives, the goal is clear for the Annawan-Wethersfield football team.Since the first year of the of A-W co-op (2008), the Titans have been playoff participants. Brandon Johnston has been the head coach for all but the first season of the co-op, and will try to guide A-W to its seventh straight playoff appearance in 2014.“We have obviously been fortunate to play together for six years of the co-op and have six playoff appearances and a couple trips pretty deep into the postseason,” said Johnston in the closing minutes of Monday night’s season-opening practice. “We’re fortunate that expectation is there and the kids know that and they want that as well.”“We’ve got good kids that are hungry to leave their own mark,” added the A-W coach. “We always tell our underclassmen at the end of each season, wherever we’re at at the end of this year, don’t let this be your best year. Continue to get better and hopefully we can make a new mark this season.”The Titans finished 8-2 in 2013 and earned a share of the Lincoln Trail Conference title with Mercer County and Stark County. Like any perennial playoff team, the Titans have to replace a solid group of seniors that led the way.“We lost, off the top of my head, 16 to 18 seniors,” said Johnston. “Obviously it was a very successful group, but again we have kids that realize it’s their turn and they’re hungry. The kids have stepped up, starting out all the way back in December and January when we did some pretty basic stuff in the weight room. You could see the leadership develop at that time and it’s continued over the summer.”“We have a good group of seniors this year — a small group in terms of numbers as we’re going to be under 10 seniors this year — but they’re quality players and quality kids.”The start of the 2014 schedule presents two new challenges for the Titans. The Lincoln Trail and Prairieland conferences joined forces for two crossover games to start the season. A-W drew teams — Farmington in the season opener Aug. 29 and Elmwood-Brimfield in Week 2 — that combined to go 19-4 last season.“We have to be ready to go from the beginning,” said Johnston. The schedule also features road trips to Stark County in Week 4 and Mercer County in Week 6.“We know our first five or six weeks are going to be extremely difficult and we welcome that,” said Johnston. “I’ve always said I’d like a very competitive schedule and I guess you better be careful what you wish for because we certainly got it this year.”Johnston is counting on a solid summer of work carrying over into the home opener with the Farmers.“We had good numbers overall throughout the summer and a had real good couple of weeks of camp,” said Johnston. “I think we got a lot done. I feel like we’re in a good place now, but we have a long ways to go until August 29.”